Dear Friend, You are invited to participate in a project that will set a new world record and set a new standard for combining vehicular performance with environmental responsibility. Introducing Die Moto, a custom built performance diesel motorcycle capable of running on diesel, biodiesel, or straight vegetable oil (SVO) fuels. Designed and fabricated at The Crucible (www.thecrucible.org), an innovative industrial arts education facility in Oakland, Die Moto will compete for the diesel motorcycle land speed world record at the renowned Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. It will also establish two new classes for competition in biodiesel and SVO fuels. As fuel effi ciency and low emissions become increasingly important, diesel technology has responded with improved mileage and easy adaptation to biodiesel and SVO. While this technology is widely available in Europe, the US has yet to recognize diesel as a viable option. The challenge is to demonstrate the new capabilities of diesel and call attention to the need to integrate environmental responsibility with performance in automotive technology. At The Crucible a team of environmentally conscious vehicle enthusiasts, engineers, artisans and speed freaks is out to meet the challenge. This group of mavericks constructed Die Moto from a 2003 BMW R1150 RT. The team rebuilt the motorcycle with a custom frame, replacing the motor with a European 2004 BMW 320D Sport, a high performance automotive diesel engine. The motorcycle is covered with a hand-crafted, artistically retro 3/4 fairing. After only six monthʼs of build time, Die Moto made its debut time-only run at The Southern California Timing Association event at El Mirage in October 2006, setting a top speed of 121 mph. Now the team is back in the shop fi ne-tuning the engine for our record attempt on the Bonneville Salt Flats in September, 2007. Even without an increase in speed, we will break the current diesel motorcycle record of 105 mph, but our goal is to exceed 160 mph. We are seeking sponsors for our world land speed record attempt at the International Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB next year. Our sponsors will see their companyʼs logo on our press releases, t-shirts, website, and the motorcycleʼs fairing, and all contributions are tax deductible. The unique and beautifully crafted motorcycle is also available for display at your promotional events. Above all we offer you the chance to join The Crucible and the Die Moto team in demonstrating that environmental responsibility and alternative technology have a place in the headlines and history books of high performance vehicles. You can learn more about Die Moto at www.thecrucible.org/about/diemoto, and about The Crucible at www.thecrucible.org. You can contact me at [email protected] or by calling 510-409-4400. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Michael Sturtz Founder and Executive Director The Crucible Die Moto Project Proposal Project Summary The Die Moto Motorcycle will be the worldʼs fi rst diesel land speed motorcycle capable of running on diesel, biodiesel, and Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) fuels. A project of The Crucible, a nonprofi t industrial arts education facility in West Oakland, Die Moto combines technical creativity, innovative engineering, artistic fabrication, and environmental sensibility. Die Moto will compete to set a world speed record for diesel motorcycles at the 2007 International Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB at the Bonneville Salt Flats. It will also be the motorcycle that establishes two new classes for biodiesel and SVO fuels. Created by a team of highly skilled engineers, mechanics, artisans, and fabricators, Die Moto is a motorized work of art—an automotive engine on a motorcycle chassis encased in a hand-crafted 3/4 aluminum fairing. Beyond setting a world speed record, Die Moto is designed to set a new standard for performance and fuel effi ciency, proving that style, speed, and environmental responsibility can come together in one vehicle. The Build Die Moto is a 2003 BMW R1150 RT that has been stripped down, the engine replaced by a BMW 2004 320D Sport, a high performance automotive diesel engine. It is wrapped in an aerodynamically designed, hand-crafted 3/4 aluminum fairing. The greatest technical challenges have been the integration of the automotive diesel engine with the motorcycle systems, particularly the transmission and electrical. The team built a custom frame and modified suspension to accommodate the larger, heavier engine. The aluminum skin is reminiscent of the GP racers from the 1950s, paying homage to the early pioneers of motorcycle daring. PSEORF FT OW ARRCE E The Fairing The hand-crafted aluminum 3/4 fairing is what gives Die Moto its unique, artistic, retro style. It was crafted at The Crucible, giving Die Moto a sleek, aerodynamic exterior. The fairing was built on an English Wheel and treadle hammer using metalworking techniques once used to build cars, motorcycles, and airplanes. These skills are now largely lost in the automated age of vehicle manufacturing, however they remain invaluable to those wishing to build custom vehicles. The Die Moto team built an English Wheel that was used to make the fairing and is now part of The Crucibleʼs sheet metal shop. These hand-forming skills are so valuable that The Crucible invited a specialist, Evan Wilcox, to assist with the design and construction. Evan has been manufacturing custom hand fabricated motorcycle parts for the past sixteen years. In addition to working with the Die Moto team with the fairing construction, Evan taught a class in English Wheel metal fabrication techniques to The Crucible community. The custom crafted fairing demonstrates that beauty, craftsmanship, and artistic skill is just as important as ever as we move into the new age of fuel-efficient vehicles. Die Moto Design - Working Draft The Crucible Located in Oakland, California, The Crucible is a non-profit educational collaboration of arts, industry and community. Founded in 1999 by a small group of artists, The Crucible is the Bay Areaʼs only nonprofit sculpture studio, educational foundry and metal fabrication shop offering classes in fine and industrial arts. From cast iron to neon, large-scale public art to the most precise kinetic sculpture, The Crucible is fast becoming the best-equipped public industry & arts education facility on the West Coast. Through training in the fine and industrial arts, The Crucible promotes creative expression, reuse of materials, and innovative design while serving as an accessible arts venue for the general public. It is a place where forges roar, sparks fly, glass bends, molten metals fuse and pour, clay and cement take on form, neon glows, and creativity explodes. The Diesel Dozen The Die Moto team, the Diesel Dozen, brings together twelve highly skilled professionals in the fields of engineering, motorcycle mechanics, design, fabrication, environmental health, and industrial arts. Team leader Michael Sturtz, the Founder and Executive Director of The Crucible, has garnered considerable notoriety throughout the country for his wildly original synthesis of art and functionality in everything from vehicles to fire operas. Each team member brings years of experience in his own field, and all share a commitment to the challenge of building the ultimate diesel performance motorcycle. Please see the attached biographies for more information on the individual team members. The Engine High performance diesel engines are not currently available in the United States, where sales of consumer diesel vehicles is restricted. However, the Die Moto Team was able to locate a BMW 2004 320D Sport in excellent condition, with only 22,000 miles, in a wrecking yard in Britain. This motor represents the cutting edge in performance diesel technology, which is not yet available in the United States. This engine offers the following : • A new radial-piston injection pump that allows high injection pressures of 1350 bar (more than 1700 at the jet itself). • Four valves per cylinder • Intercooler • Reduced friction inside the engine • Electronically controlled cooling and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) • Additional heater for heating up the coolant after a cold start Engine Specifications: Cylinders/valves 4/4 Capacity cml 1995 Stroke/Bore (mm) 90/84 Max output (kW/hp/rpm) 120/163/4000 Max torque (Nm/rpm) 340/2000 The Land Speed Trials The team will be ready to take Die Moto out to the salt flats of Bonneville in September 2007 during the International Speed Trials by BUB. The officials at BUB have approved our entry and invited us to establish classes in biodiesel and SVO. See the attached letter for details on our invitation and learn more anout the event at www.speedtrialsbybub.com The Die Moto team intends to publicize their bid for a world record, capitalizing on the projectʼs creativity and timeliness to garner media attention. The Crucible has an excellent track record for catching the public eye. In 2005 Crucible staff and facilities were at the center of a National Geographic television series, and The Crucible was featured in two front page spreads in the San Francisco Chronicle in the last year. The Crucible will use the Die Moto project as a means to demonstrate the viability of diesel engines to improve fuel efficiency, and to promote its upcoming programs in alternative energy and fuels and green building techniques. Die Motoʼs sponsors include: The Crucible, BMW of San Francisco, German Car Dismantelers, Perforce Software, Autologic® Diagnostics, and Greenline Industries. The Diesel Dozen Michael Sturtz, Team Leader & Rider Michael grew up in an automotive body repair shop, igniting his interest in mechanics and metal work. In high school he fully restored a 1965 Mustang Fastback 289. He earned a MFA in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and continues to apply his artistic, design, and fabrication skills in all manner of projects including some unusual vehicle modifi cations.